The Energy Audit

The Energy Audit

What small business owners should track — but don’t.

You check your numbers.
You check your projections.
You check your goals, your revenue, your growth curve.

You know what’s working, what’s converting, and what’s breaking even.

But here’s what you might not be tracking:
How it feels.

How it feels to lead.
How it feels to serve.
How it feels to keep holding a business that keeps growing — even when you’re not sure you can.

And that feeling?
That’s data, too.

Most people don’t burn out because they’re doing too much.

They burn out because they’re doing too much without naming the cost.

They’re managing deliverables — but not expectations.
They’re watching the spreadsheet — but not the team dynamic.
They’re hitting their goals — but missing their body’s cues.

Because we were taught that emotional bandwidth is a luxury.
Something you reflect on when you have time.

But here’s the truth:
If you’re growing from $300K to $2M+, your emotional capacity is part of your infrastructure.

It determines how well your systems run.
It determines how your team communicates.
It determines what you say yes to — and what breaks after you say it.

So let’s bring energy into the equation.

Not as fluff.
As a metric.

Just like you audit your cash flow, you can audit your emotional bandwidth.
Not once a year.
Not after the crash.
But consistently — like a leader who knows how to check in before things fall apart.

Here’s how.

1. Track the energy cost of each offer

Look at your services, subscriptions, and containers.

Ask:

• Which ones feel light and energizing?

• Which ones feel heavy or resentful — even if they’re profitable?

• Which ones require the most emotional labor?

• Which ones feel easiest to deliver — but still create real value?

You might find that your highest-paying offer is the one draining you the most.
You might find your most joyful work isn’t priced to sustain you.

That’s not a failure. That’s information.

Use it.

2. Build emotional check-ins into your systems — not just your schedule

Team huddles are great. So are client updates.
But what if you checked in with yourself — and your team — with real honesty?

Try adding this to your end-of-week recap:

• What felt good to lead this week?

• Where did I feel tension, frustration, or fatigue?

• What went unsaid? What am I tolerating?

• What felt like too much — and what would I change next time?

This isn’t soft. It’s strategic.

Because most miscommunication, scope creep, and client friction doesn’t come from failure.
It comes from not saying something early enough.

Energy check-ins help you catch it sooner.

3. Make decisions based on capacity — not performance

You might be able to keep going.
You might be able to hit the deadline.
You might be able to take on one more client.

But should you?

Capacity isn’t about whether you can.
It’s about whether you can do it well — without resentment, reactivity, or breakdown.

As you grow, your leadership will be defined less by what you produce…
And more by what you protect.

Your time.
Your clarity.
Your ability to stay grounded in a business that supports you — not one that slowly drains you.

Start asking:

• Do I have the emotional space to take this on — not just the hours?

• What does this decision cost me in focus, energy, and attention?

• What would I need to remove to say yes to this?

That’s not avoidance. That’s discernment.

Final thought

You can track the cash.
You can set the goals.
You can build the systems.

But if you’re not tracking how it feels — you’re flying blind.

Because emotional bandwidth is part of your business model.

It affects how you show up.
It shapes how you lead.
It determines whether you grow with grace — or grit your teeth and hope for the best.

So build your pipeline.
Streamline your systems.
Refine your messaging.

And then — pause.

Ask yourself:
Can this business hold me, too?

If the answer is no — it’s time to adjust.

Not by working harder.
But by treating your energy like the metric it really is.

That’s not selfish.
That’s sustainable.

And that’s what your next level is built on.
Not just growth — but growth that doesn’t cost you everything.